A Fear of Windows
by Ginkaishoku
Summary: What do rumors of terrorists, brutal murders, a stalker, and a secret admirer have in common? Hitomi Takaeda will soon find out. ZetsuxOC
1. Surprise

_A/N: This story was inspired by one of my biggest fears, the fear of uncovered windows. I always feel like someone is going to break one and come in, or that someone is watching me. My house was broken into once (actually three times, but I was only home when it happened once), and as I ran up the stairs to call the police after scaring him off, I saw him (the robber, presumably) looking in my downstairs living room window. I'll never go downstairs at night again, and sleep with a baseball bat and telephone at arm's reach from my bed._

_This fic is highly likely to be short, three, four, or maybe five chapters long. I hope you guys like it!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or "Monster." Naruto belongs to Kishimoto, and "Monster" belongs to the Meg and Dia Band.**

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**Chapter 1: Surprise**

_"Monster, how should I feel? Creatures lie here, looking through the windows…" _

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"Dad, is that you?" I yelled as I washed the dishes. Hearing no answer, I wiped my hands on my blue apron, and went to peer down the hall towards the front door. I crept quietly, tentatively sticking my head into the hall.

And screamed.

"Hitomi, it's just me," my dad laughed, taking off his ANBU mask. My hand went to my heart, as if willing it to slow down. My father steered me into the kitchen, and he sat down at the table to the plate I had served him. I pouted as he continued laughing at me lightly. Soon, though, my father's smile faded. We ate for a few minutes in silence before I decided to see why my father was down.

"How was your mission?" I asked lamely, wishing I had the guts to ask my _real_ question. He shrugged, as if to blow it off as fine and not elaborate. I wasn't letting him off so easily, though.

"So, your mission was okay. What kind of job was it?" I inquired lightly, not bothering to conceal my nosiness. My dad was never bothered by trivial things, after all, so whatever had him down must have been a whopper.

"Fine. It was a border patrol mission. Don't think I don't see what you're doing, Hitomi," he grumbled, setting his spoon down and running a hand through his hair, something he did when he really didn't like what he was talking about.

"Hey guys," my cousin Emiko said as she and her brother Kaoru sat at the other two place settings. Emiko looked at my father, and frowned in that contemplative way only she could pass off while looking cute. Kaoru, the extremely receptive one of the bunch, instantly settled into waiting for my dad to speak. Emiko, however, didn't.

"What's wrong, Uncle Sano?" Emiko asked, cocking her head to the side slightly. He shifted uncomfortably, as if unwilling to answer her. I didn't blame him, as Emiko wasn't the best person to go to for understanding.

"You three don't need to hear it, you're all too young," my father said as he repeatedly ran his hand through his hair. Kaoru scowled, miffed that he was considered too young to hear something. Kaoru had always been more grown up than us girls, and wanted to be treated like an adult.

"We are hardly too young, uncle Sanosuke. I won't take that as a valid excuse," Kaoru countered. I admired the way he could argue with my father without being overly rude. That was one trait of his that I always tried to emulate.

"Really, you three do not need to discuss such a…. depressing topic with an old man like me," my dad returned, sounding a lot less sure of himself. I knew it would take just one more push before he'd spill his guts.

"Please," I asked, Emiko and me looking at him imploringly. I could imagine that we grew cat ears and a tail to complete our kitty-pout act. My dad stared at us for a few moments before sighing and looking down at his lap. All the while, his hand ran a nervous part in his hair. I wondered if his habit of hair rubbing would cause baldness.

"You three know about the rumors spreading throughout the villages surrounding Amegakure, right?" we all shook our heads, since none of us had left the inn to get supplies in a week or two. He sighed, shifting to sit semi-sideways in his spot.

"Well, rumor has it that terrorists have been hired by God to root out traitors in the countryside that might be planning to oust him from his power over this country," he said quietly, and Emiko gasped while Kaoru and I shook our heads. All of us knew that God was too powerful to be removed.

"Also, they say that God's Angel has sent out her own spies, ones that report directly to her," My eyes widened, surprised that the Angel was taking action. The plotters must be pretty extensive and dangerous to invoke such a reaction.

"I heard from my commander that God might withhold the rain from our fields if this isn't over soon, forcing our towns to turn in the plotters," He said, looking out the window over the sink at our small forest and backyard. A cold feeling of mild fear settled into my heart, dark and stifling.

"I am to tell the Elders by way of scroll tomorrow that God has written a 'No-Tolerance' decree that all traitors need to be turned in," he added, stopping to eat a few bites of his almost-cold soup. We three looked at each other nervously, digesting what my father had just told us.

21-year-old Emiko tugged on her long blonde braid, as she was wont to do when she was nervous, and clung to her brother's arm. My other cousin, 23-year-old Kaoru, simply allowed her to cuddle with his arm and pursed his lips in thought. I fiddled with my pretty blue apron's lace trim, and stared at the table. I felt my long brown hair fall in front of my eyes, and looked up sharply when Kaoru threw in his two cents on the matter.

"Well, if there is to be this routing, we should be careful who we associate with, not that we go to town much. The fact remains, however, that as a Bed and Breakfast, we cannot keep proper tabs on our guests." He concluded, raising his hand to stroke the dirty-blonde scruff of his chin. I nodded my agreement, even though the opinion of the youngest, a mere 19-year-old, hardly mattered in situations like this.

"Very right, Kaoru-kun. You run this business well, and I'm thankful," My father said, smiling gratefully at my cousin. I silently concurred, and waited for my father to speak again.

"Tomorrow, I want Hitomi to deliver this important order to the elders, because I'm going to report for mandatory training in Ame," Father decreed smiling at me encouragingly. I nodded, returning his smile. Doing such and important task made it seem as if its importance would rub off on me.

"Of course, Otou-san. I'm honored," I assured him softly, blushing at the proud smile that glowed on the faces of my hodge-podge family. My family, no matter how odd, was perfect. A little crazy, perhaps, but we worked together well.

"Alright, I 'm going to hit the sack, goodnight," My father said as he rose from the table, kissing the top of my head as he passed me to set his bowl and spoon in the sink. My cousins followed suit, thanking me for the food and telling me I should start a restaurant someday. I pouted as Kaoru ruffled my hair. I then walked to the sink to wash the dishes once they had gone their separate ways.

As I washed the dishes, I pondered the implications of God's frustration, and slowly began to think about what the Angel looked like. Was she pretty? How old was she? Does she have wings? What king of jutsus does she use? And…. A niggling bit of fear burrowed into my heart as I wondered, should I be afraid of her?

I thoughtfully weighed my family for any crime against our government. The only points against us were littering or discussing rumors as far as I could see. I concluded my happy, if dysfunctional, family would remain safe from God's punishment so far. After all, who would doubt our integrity? We, in general, were considered upstanding citizens.

Emiko was a beautiful but naïve blonde, who worked as a schoolteacher in the winters when there was no farming to be done, and who also helped me take care of the inn and cleaning. She was a tad shallow, but she had her perceptive and sensitive moments when it counted. She had a gentle demeanor that charmed the children she worked with into behaving, and that enamored the town's boys into following her around like lost puppies.

My cousin Kaoru was the groundskeeper and manager of the inn, and also a wonderful friend. That is, if you could get up the courage to talk to him. Overall, he was considered very intimidating. He was incredibly handsome, so I always wondered why he hadn't gotten married or at least had a girlfriend yet. He had short, dirty-blonde hair and sky blue eyes that could melt a girl into swooning faster than you could say "he's so cute!" The best part about him was the fact that he didn't let his good looks go to his head, which seemed to be filled with interesting bits of knowledge and a mastery of mathematic concepts and figures.

My father was a large man, and a special jounin for the village hidden in the rain. He had a dirty-blonde colored mop of unruly hair, similar to Kaoru's but a shade darker with age, seasoned with salty, coarse strands of gray-white. He was a large man, standing six and a half feet tall. He was also very burly and muscular. Not to mention, he was extremely healthy for a 40-something year-old man. I assumed that was because he worked out a lot every day as a part of his shinobi training regimen.

Compared to my cousins and father, I wasn't all that amazing. I was smart, but so where they. I had the family's sky blue eyes, but had my dead mother's light brown hair and slight build. I worked solely at the family inn, and kept the house clean and meals cooked. The old ladies in town always told me I was a wonderful girl, and said I was the sweetest little shy cutie, but I didn't fully believe them. In my own opinion, I wasn't all that amazing, and felt small next to my outstanding family. What I really wanted to do was become a chakra-medic like my mother was, but after she was killed doing her job my father would have none of it. So, I was an unremarkable nice girl with no specialized skills.

I saw absolutely no reason for God's punishment to fall upon our family, and hoped that keeping track of strange visitors would pay off somehow. I looked outside, remembering what my father had said about God withholding rain. I was worried, and glanced at Kaoru's thriving and beautiful garden in our backyard. It was hard to imagine so much color turning to yellow-brown crisps.

A flash of movement caught my eye, and I saw a pair of reflective yellowish eyes near the edge of the forest through the kitchen window. They were quiet a distance away, about as far as I could throw a rock. I stared back, figuring that it was a fox, badger, small wildcat or something, I sighed as the eyes disappeared, hoping that our neighbor, farmer Nakano, had fenced in his chicken coop to keep out animals that night.

"Ow," I emitted a quiet grunt as I sliced my finger when I wasn't paying attention to the knife I was washing. I looked at the wound, saw that it was small, and shrugged. It wasn't that big, I'd clean it up when I finished the dishes. I was almost done anyway.

Seeing the blood remind me of other household chores that needed to be done, like rinsing some blood out of sheets and blankets. The other day a wounded woman had stayed here on her family's journey to the clinic in town. They left a huge mess on the futons, too.

I grimaced, realizing that tomorrow I would have to beat the dust out of all the mattresses. I could feel imaginary pain coursing through my joints, and dreaded having to beat big, heavy mattresses as they hung on our clothesline. I hoped it wouldn't rain tomorrow as well, and wondered if we had a dry spot to set the futons outside if it did rain.

I raised my head to peer into the backyard and search for a dry place, but instead my eyes met something I didn't expect. Blue eyes met with yellow as I saw the profile of what I assumed was a man's bulky head and shoulders, two luminescent eyes looking down at me from outside. I panicked as I realized how close he was, and that the window was open. The only thing between us was a flimsy wire fly screen. Anybody could punch through it if they but a little muscle into it.

I backed up slowly, my eyes locked with the man. I heard him make a sound, quiet and nearly unnoticeable, and thought it sounded like he was inhaling something, smelling something. I turned and ran into the hallway, screaming as I tripped and fell to the hardwood floor.

My family rushed into the main hallway, my dad arriving first. He picked me up, asking me urgently what the matter was. For a few moments my throat was choked up, and I tried to gesture towards the kitchen. Kaoru put his hand on my shoulder, and my heart began to slow down.

"What's wrong?" Kaoru asked urgently, and I pointed to the kitchen as I tried to bypass a sob and explain.

"There was a man, with yellow eyes! He… he was right at the window, staring," I cried, trying to hold in the mounting terror I felt. My dad went ot go look for the man, leaving me with my cousins. Emiko crooned to me comfortingly, telling me that my dad was going to take care of us. I tried to relax, still crying a bit. My body shivered with energy, the remnants of adrenaline forcing its way out of my system.

"Shhh…. It's alright Hitomi-chan; Uncle Sanosuke has everything under control. You're safe here; we won't let anybody hurt you!" Emiko whispered as she bundled me into her arms. She hugged me close, and Kaoru handed her a kunai as he went to go look in the kitchen to see if he could find anything.

As Emiko and I waited, I replayed the scene over and over in my head. That had been the scariest moment in my life since a horror movie Kaoru tricked me into watching when we were little. I frowned as I realized how that stupid ghost movie didn't hold a candle to having someone pop up in front of your window.

Soon enough, both men reappeared in the hallway, and Emiko looked at them imploringly. I had cried myself out a while ago, and was terribly tired after my body had used all that adrenaline. My throat ached, and in my mind, all I could see was those eyes on the other side of the window screen, looking right at me. There was something in those eyes, I decided. They concealed some unknown emotion, and I was certain of it, but I didn't want to sound like a loser, so I didn't mention it.

"I- No, we didn't find anything. I'm sorry," My father said, glancing at Kaoru sadly. My father stepped forward, taking me from Emiko and hoisting me into his arms like a little kid. He hugged me like that for a long time, and after a while, Emiko and Kaoru went to bed. A little while later, my father took me up to my room, laying me down and tucking me in, just as if I was a toddler who had had a bad dream.


	2. Happenstance

_A/N: Gore ahead! Not your cup of tea? I'd suggest a different story. Expect lots of it, as not much bothers me anymore. Both of my parents are of the medical profession, so every once in a while I have stumbled upon pictures of disembodied kidneys or eyes falling out of a head during a search for family photos on my mom's computer. _

_Oh, and invisible cookies to the person who names the hinted characters in this! I don't think it's too hard to guess. If Naomi Okaa-san doesn't get it, the world will melt into a puddle of chocolate syrup and we will turn into hippos with wings that eat it. I'm serious._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or "Imaginary." Naruto belongs to Kishimoto and "Imaginary" belongs to Evanescence. **

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**Chapter 2: Happenstance **

_"Let me stay where the wind will whisper to me, where the raindrops as they're falling tell a story."_

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Curtains fluttered in the warm spring breeze, and moonlight washed me in a spotlight of pale blue. The stars twinkled on a rare, clear night. A star-shaped sun catcher spun in the upper corner of the window, refracting pale rainbow patterns on the hardwood floor. The night was beautiful.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't enjoy it. A constant paranoia held me in its cold, paralyzing grasp, so I stared out the window. I searched the inky depths of the forest for that same pair of eyes. Those, terrible, beautiful, horrifying eyes.

Those eyes, I'll admit they had me perversely enthralled. In my half-consciousness I gazed out into the moonlit night, and I could almost feel them searching my darkened room for me, peering in through the window. I could almost see them, glancing through the wispy curtains, hunting out my futon.

I lay there, blue eyes fixed unblinkingly. I felt my dad's approaching footsteps and heard him open the door. He came and knelt by the head of my bed, gently sliding his hand across my forehead to push back my brown bangs. He saw my open eyes and stood.

He walked over to the window, and tacked a thick quilt over it.

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Kaoru and I walked in comfortable silence into the town square, almost two miles from the inn. I stared longingly at all the shop displays and vendors, as well as the store widows full of clothing and pieces of furniture. My eyes settled on a beautiful but simple lightweight cotton kimono with a tan pattern of dandelions, which were stitched onto an inky indigo background. I imagined the luxurious cotton slipping over my shoulders, as opposed to itchy wool weave I was used to. I dreamily imagined how pretty I'd feel if I could wear such a rich color.

I cast my eyes to the ground again, trying to hide my dejected expression. The next gift-giving holiday was more than a month away, and a kimono like that was sure to be bought quickly. Kaoru noticed my sour demeanor after a few minutes, glancing at my downcast face quizzically.

"What do you say, should we grab some fruit ice before heading out of town?" he asked, nodding towards a colorful vendor selling packed ice in cones and topping them with fruit juice flavoring. I nodded enthusiastically.

"That sounds great!" I answered lightly. We continued to the other side of the town square, towards the council building.

We entered and bowed respectfully to the elders. It was apparent that they were just sitting down for a meeting, and some of the townspersons' chairs were occupied by the town's more politically savvy men and wives. We were asked to state our names and business, seeing that we had interrupted something important.

"Takaeda Kaoru and Hitomi, here to deliver a scroll from Takaeda Sanosuke," my cousin said politely, handing the scroll to the nearest elder, our neighbor Mr. Nakano.

"The scroll had been sent to our town by God and his Angel, and is very important," I added quietly, and Kaoru smiled proudly at me. Nakano scowled, but nodded, and opened the scroll to read aloud before the elders and other attending townspeople.

The scroll was a legalese version of the decree that my father had described at supper the night before, and I suddenly felt intelligent, realizing that I understood the political jargon in it. As he read aloud, Nakano's face grew stormy with some form of anger. As he finished, I looked around and noticed all the emotions flowing around the room in drifts. Many people shook their heads, like Kaoru and I had. Others were murmuring to their neighbors or spouses, a look of worry on their features. I glanced at some more people, and noticed the angry looks on their faces.

I knew then that anger and hatred would do nothing but destroy our chances at survival, but didn't know how to explain it to Nakano as he began to degrade the contents of the scroll.

"This is an outrage! God cannot, and _will_ not stop us from acting of our own will, _or_ destroy our crops!" the old farmer rattled lividly, his hands gesturing as he spoke. I blanched. Was he trying to bring God's anger upon our beautiful, peaceful town? I shuddered as images of the town engulfed in flames sifted through my mind. I made a promise to myself that those terrible things would happen in some other unfortunate town. Glancing around, I noticed the angry looks on a number of faces.

"As for his threats, I say we ignore them! This town is not protected by those bastards in Amegakure, no matter how many times they promised to offer protection! They are using the feudal sys-" I cut off the old man with a raised hand, glaring at his mottled red face. I didn't care if he found such an interruption by a nearly worthless girl offensive. I could not allow this slipshod jerk of a man ruin the happy existence I had with my family. Leaning to Kaoru, I whispered my thoughts on the matter into his ear. He stood up and addressed the elder primly.

"Elder Nakano, you speak treachery. Do not presume to have us all punished for your treasonous thoughts," Kaoru said darkly, and I rose from my seat in the front row of the townspeople's section to stand beside him. Nakano cast a shocked glance at us, and then opened his mouth to argue our point. Kaoru didn't give him a chance. Nakano's face went from red to deep puce as my cousin continued.

"God is to be feared, if only because he could destroy this _entire_ town at whim. If you wish to be free of his jurisdiction, move to another town, where they do not care if a fool's rebellion gets them killed. That is the opinion of the Takaeda clan," he persisted. I tried hard to ignore the blush rising on the back of my neck as I heard the whispers of the crowd surrounding me. I noticed movement to my right, and saw middle-aged widow rise from her spot.

"The Takaeda boy is right. And how can you accuse Ame of not protecting us when many of our men have been trained in the shinobi arts by their ninja?" she asked. Kaoru slowly sat us down and put an arm around my shoulders as we watched the debate unfold. In the end, our side of the case won, but the few people who agreed with Nakano put up a fierce argument.

Kaoru and I left the meeting, and a few of the townspeople clapped my cousin and me on the back appreciatively. I was blushing furiously, and I seriously questioned my sanity. Why had the old man's words strike such a fear into my heart that I couldn't let it pass? Oh well, I supposed it wouldn't kill me. As a matter of fact, I thought that maybe it would keep me alive. I was disappointed that I myself hadn't argued with Nakano, but knew that Kaoru would have the skills to convince the council. Maybe someday I would have those skills as well.

My cousin and I walked into a shop to order some soap and other supplies for the inn, and then went to the restaurant next door for lunch. We ate and talked about meaningless things, pointedly avoiding the subject of the unsettling hours at council. I could tell by the look on Kaoru's face that he was just as nervous about the meeting as I was.

Instead, we teased each other about our nonexistent relationships. All through the meal, I glared periodically at a lovesick group of girls ogling my cousin. If I wasn't around, poor Kaoru would be beset by proclamations of undying love right about then. During the meal, Kaoru mentioned never marrying because of me, and I wanted to punch him, my arm falling short over the booth. All my attempt served was to make him laugh hysterically.

After lunch, we picked up some rice and other dry goods at the market stalls, and put them in our backpacks. Walking down the road, we eventually made it to the crowded fruit ice stand, and I waited patiently in line as it wound towards the cashbox handler. The sun slanted over the bright red parasol that was situated over the stand. I stared at it, deciding what flavor I wanted.

Cherry red fruit ice, which was the same brilliant red as the parasol.

A few minutes farther on and we were in the front of the line. I placed my order and looked up at Kaoru as he struggled with a decision. He rubbed his stubble in thought before answering.

"I think I'll have a lime ice. A grown man would look funny with blue or pink lips, wouldn't he?" Kaoru asked, laughing with the server. I raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh as I imagined my respectable cousin with girly pink lips. He ruffled my hair before handing me my red ice.

"Well, if you would look silly with colored lips, what does that make me look like with red ones?" I asked as we wandered towards our road. His face contorted as if he were thinking hard.

"I think it makes you a geisha!" he joked and punched me in the shoulder. I giggled a little before settling into a comfortable silence.

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"I wonder what's going on. Why are there so many people outside Nakano-san's barn?" Kaoru wondered, half to himself and half to me. I looked up from my cherry ice to glance at the barn on the right side of the road. As Kaoru had said, a large number of people, maybe thirty, were trying to peer into the building, but not entering.

As we approached our neighbor's barn, a long, haunting wail rose from a woman near the front of the crowd. As the door was opened, gasps and screams were rampant amongst my fellow villagers. Two Ame shinobi exited, one scanning the crowd as if looking for something.

After a few shoves, Kaoru and I made it to the front of the crowd to find Nakano's wife, Yuri, curled into a ball on the hard-packed soil. Tears slid down her face as she rocked back and forth, eyes wide with some form of shock. I quickly bent down to embrace her, hoping to comfort her. As soon as I had kneeled, her thin, wiry arm wrapped around my waist, heartbreaking sobs ripping through her throat. I shushed her with my eyes closed, running a calming hand over her head.

"You, young man, can you take this to the elders of this town?" one of the shinobi asked. I opened my eyes at the sound of Kaoru's answer. The sight ahead of me, however, distracted me from whatever else might have been said.

Golden hay was splattered with crimson; rivulets of blood ran down grey paneled beams. A body hung by his shirt from a nail on the back wall, drooping. Elder Nakano's glassy eyes spoke volumes of paralyzed pain and his opened mouth was frozen in a dead scream. His body looked as if it had been… shredded. Slices of bloody skin littered the floor in front of his prone form, the blood running into a well drain in the center of the barn. In Nakano's grey hand was clutched a parchment that looked as if someone painted it like a finger painting, using blood as their ink. The parchment bore the character meaning 'punishment.'

I dropped my ice, the red flavoring spilling and joining the river of crimson into the drain. My now free hand flew to my mouth, stifling the terrified scream that was building in my throat. Yuri didn't need another reminder of the horror surrounding her husband's murder. I knew it was murder. After all, who could cause themselves that much pain? I swallowed bile, the bitter taste staying in my mouth.

"Shhh, Yuri, shhh," I crooned, my voice almost cracking. Nakano's wife calmed down, and soon we were joined by Sayori, Yuri's sister. Yuri was swept out of my arms and away from the scene, and I was left kneeling in front of the barn alone.

My eyes, wide with shock, locked on the gory sight. My mind whirled with gruesome possibilities. Who murdered him? How did they kill him? Did this relate to God? Was this his punishment? Was anybody else in danger? Was he the only one murdered? Was Emiko alright?

I stood, backing up a little and sliding through the crowd and back onto the road. I rushed home, tears building up in my eyes that I refused to shed. Emiko would be alright, and Dad would be home soon. Dad would know what was going on.

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"Emiko-onee, are you in here?" I shouted, noisily sliding the back screen open to drop my bags on the floor. I ran in, heading to the kitchen. Checking the hall clock, I learned that it was close to five, about the time Emiko would start cooking meals for our guests.

"Hitomi-chan, don't make so much ruckus," Emiko scolded gently, emerging into the hallway from the kitchen. The tears that I had held back began to leak, and I threw myself into her friendly and familiar arms. A few tears leaked out as I told Emiko what had happened over the course of my afternoon. After I finished with the barest details of elder Nakano's murder, Emiko released me to head back into the kitchen, beckoning me to follow.

"Come, help me in the kitchen. We need to finish supper and make something for the Nakano family to show our support," I nodded, whipping out my apron.

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My brows furrowed, glancing suspiciously at the encroaching cloudbank. Another rainstorm was brewing in the direction of Amegakure, and looked as if it was heading our way. I sighed, hanging my last sheet on the line, putting a large rock in my basket to secure it against wind. I would have to be sure to watch for rain, and ready to grab the laundry. In my opinion, it rained far too much in this area.

Heading inside, I sat at the kitchen table with a glass of water. My eyes shifted to the window by the sink, gazing out it idly. I stood after a few fruitless minutes, setting a pot of water to boil. Sitting around wasn't going to help anybody, after all. Rifling through the cabinets, I wondered what my father would like to eat. I settled on ramen just as a rolling peal of thunder split the air.

I shut the stove off and rushed out the back door, sprinting for the clothesline in hopes of saving it from the storm. I stopped outside on my way to the laundry, noticing that it wasn't raining. I stared up at the indigo cloudbank over Ame, wincing at its intensity. Whatever was going on in the rain village, I didn't know. But if I was asked to hazard a guess, I would assume that God was especially furious.

I studied the wind and the clouds, and surmised that the clouds were standing still, hovering of our shinobi village. A feeling of awe overwhelmed me then, and I was amazed by God. No matter how enraged the rest of the village was, I knew that my path was solid because of him. If anything, I would move to Amegakure in a heartbeat. I had always dreamed of using chakra for medicine like my mother had, and I knew that there were chakra medics in the village. After all, that was where my mother had learned the medical arts before I was born.

I was snapped back into motion by another jarring roll of thunder, and decided to leave the laundry, but not without checking it. I walked the rest of the way to the hanging linens, which were near the forest line. I observed that all the clothes were already folded and sitting in the baskets. Walking over to the baskets, I also noticed the beginning of a trail of flowers leading to the edge of the woods.

A thrill of excitement buzzed in my veins. I looked suspiciously at the woods, almost searching for yellow-eyed men.

"I don't see anybody," I mumbled, picking the first of the flowers, following the line to the woods. I stopped next to the outermost tree, my hands resting on the bark, flowers pressed against the hard wood. I peered around the tall, thin tree, my gaze following the flowers about twenty feet into the dark forest. The trail ended on top of a stump, and I saw a lump of shiny plastic cling wrap covering something rectangular.

"Hello," I called in a low voice, still peeking into the dark woods from behind the tree. I heard no answer, but that didn't comfort me at all. Should I go in and retrieve the object? Was it too dangerous? What _was_ the thing? I sighed, my will collapsing after a few torturous minuets to the demanding call of curiosity.

I approached the object slowly, wishing I could see everywhere at once, like that famous clan in the Leaf. My steps were loud, my feet crumpling leaves and underbrush. Anything in the area could hear me lumbering through the woods! I made it to the stump, and looked down at a plastic-wrapped book. After another careful glance around me, I picked it up.

The black, leather-bound book was ornately carved with the same type of flowers that I held in my cold hands, the vines twisting around the binding, embossed expertly. I opened it slowly, taking in the scent of new, well made paper and ink. The cover pages were of a deep, violet-blue paper, thick and textured. On the first page was a message.

_"To the beautiful Hitomi,_

_Everyone needs some help once in a while. I pray the flowers are enjoyable, as they cannot compare to your loveliness. _

_A Secret Admirer."_

My heart sped as I blushed, a small smile slipping onto my lips. My stomach fluttered in some form of excitement or nervousness. I don't know why, but I didn't want to take the book inside, afraid my family would discover it. Instead, I grasped the attached brush pen, carefully writing a reply, even if I didn't expect an answer.

_"To my admirer,_

_I appreciate your kindness, and am flattered. Thank you so much for the journal, it is beautiful, as are the flowers!"_

I blew it dry before closing it, returning it to its blanket of cling wrap. I placed it in a crevice in the stump to shelter it from the wind and downpour, and collected the bouquet of flowers. I walked out of the woods, grabbing the laundry baskets and staking them.

I was walking towards the kitchen door, when I saw movement in the window of the lobby area. I saw Emiko and two potential guests, both men. I set my baskets down, still holding my flowers, and crept to the door. Sliding in, I stood silently behind a thick column, listening to the conversation between the men and my cousin.

"One double room or two singles please. Either will do," a gravelly voice requested, and I heard Emiko rifle through our log book.

"I have two connected singles open. Will that do?" Emiko asked, opening the drawer on the desk to grab something to write with.

"That's fine, thank you. And your companion can come out from behind that pillar, we don't mind," the gravelly voiced man laughed, and I flushed scarlet as I edged out from behind my hiding spot. I glanced at two tall men, one impressively so. I didn't examine their faces, but noticed their Akatsuki cloaks immediately and bowed respectfully. When the taller one laughed a rough laugh, I recognized him as the man who announced my arrival. The other man, so far as I knew, hadn't said a word yet. My eyes were glued to the ground as I stood shyly by the whitewashed pillar, hoping to become invisible.

"Belladonna," the shorter man said, his velvety voice soft, yet penetrating. I looked up into black eyes, which were framed by an aristocratic and vaguely feminine face and long black hair held in a low ponytail.

"Pardon, sir?" I asked quietly, wishing I hadn't met his piercing eyes, which seemed to burn into your soul like reading a book left wide open. The bigger of the two hummed curiously at his handsome companion.

"Your flowers. Belladonna, or Nightshade. They are poisonous," the man with the smooth voice said, his speech clipped and oddly flowing at the same time. My eyes widened, and I glanced at my bouquet and back to him.

"Thank you for informing me," I bowed gratefully as I gripped the flowers a little softer. The gravel-voiced man laughed again, welcoming me. At that moment, Emiko interrupted.

"Sirs, could I have a name to reserve the room?" she asked in that perfect polite tone of hers. The shorter man turned his steady gaze to her.

"Akatsuki," he said in an emotionless tone of voice. Emiko stuttered, embarrassed, and apologized to the men. I watched as she handed the two their keys, and as they headed up the back stairwell to their room. The large man struck me as strange, with his odd, face-hiding hat and large wrapped bundle on his back. And the smaller one was devastatingly serene, with a stillness of a rock. Just by looking at their turned backs, they screamed _I am powerful, I am a shinobi_.

I shook myself, went to put away the laundry, and finished preparing supper. I left the flowers on the table, wrapped in a wet towel. Just before my father was due home, I decided to put them in a vase and set them in my room. If anybody asked about them, I was prepared to say I gathered them on Nakano's property.

And that was the beginning of the web of destructive lies I would weave.


	3. Pereculum

_A/N: I am so absolutely and completely sorry that I am a terrible updater, that I hope you guys have some pity… _

_For the curious, the title of this chapter means "danger" in Latin. Also, this fic was originally supposed to be at most five chapters, but that has been extended. Now I'm not really sure when it will end, but I'm assuming it will be around ten chapters, like The Game. I'm guessing that ten is my lucky fan fiction number. _

_Points to the botanist who can tell the symbolism behind the new bouquet Hitomi's admirer leaves this time!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or "Zombie." Naruto belongs to Kishimoto and "Zombie" belongs to The Cranberries.**

---=---=---=---=---

**Chapter 3: Pereculum**

_"Another head hangs lowly; childhood slowly taken._

_And the violence causes silence. Who are we mistaken?_

_But you see it's not me, it's not my family_

_In your head; in your head they're fighting._

_In your head; in your head they're dying."_

---=---=---=---=---

Some unknown, silent stirring of the darkness woke me, my face drenched in cold sweat as I opened my eyes. I searched the darkness for what had roused me, my heart still thundering from a vivid but unremembered nightmare. That's when I noticed a sliver of light falling across my legs.

I lifted my head off my pillow, lowering my blankets as quietly as possible. My eyes followed the light's pale trail, arriving on the window. A corner of the quilt had fallen off the wall, revealing a section of moonlit night. I sighed, relieved that the quilt falling was what wakened me, and not some other, more sinister phenomenon. I looked around the room once more as I rose from my bed to re-tack the quilt. But before I had made it a single step, my eyes were drawn to a sight I never wished to see.

My eyes locked on two reflective golden eyes. My heart froze as I stared back at them through the window. Before I could muster a scream, the eyes seemed to realize what I planned to do and disappeared. Grabbing my vase full of poisonous flowers, I hurled it after the eyes. The sound of shattered carnival and window glass accompanied my delayed scream.

As I made it into the hallway, my father and several of the seven guests were there. All were rain ninja passing into or out of Amegakure. One of our frequent guests, a kunoichi, grabbed my shoulders in a motherly gesture of protection as I stood in shock, searching for my father in the crowd. The rest of the night was a blur as my father assessed what had happened, relaying it to the assembled group of his peers.

The two Akatsuki who had checked in last night volunteered to investigate, and left to search the grounds. Somehow, the guests were shuffled back to their rooms, and I was placed in Emiko's stuffy bedroom, which had a frosted window and was directly above the fireplace downstairs.

So I snuggled into Emiko's arms, comforted by the meager protection they offered. The pitch-blackness enveloped us both, setting us apart from the lighted world.

---=---=---=---=---

Two faded slate blue orbs rested in hollow, pale cheeks with dark rings hanging around them. I had gotten little sleep, even with the comfort of Emiko's room. I sighed at the ghostly girl in the mirror, the sigh turning to a yawn. It was surprisingly easy to convince myself that I wasn't going to look better any time soon, and should go rustle up some coffee for myself and the sleep-deprived guests. Maybe the two Akatsuki would have some good news for me.

On my way into the kitchen, I grabbed the newspaper from the mail box that opened on either side of the wall. If the newspaper was outside, there was no way I'd waste the energy on it. My hand gripped the smooth paper as I walked into the dining room. Many of our guests were already up, some dressed and some in pajamas. They looked exhausted, rivaling my dull disposition. I nodded in greeting before passing them into the kitchen.

Soon, coffee was made in an industrial-sized dispenser and placed on a side table in the dining room. All of the assembled guests (numbering five) and my family drank the coffee like water. Emiko finished preparing a breakfast of eggs and lightly seasoned rice, two large bowls set in the center of our gigantic dinner table. A chorus of sleepy 'itadakimasu' was heard, and everyone dug in.

I made three plates. One for me, and one for each of the late Akatsuki members, who I learned were sleeping after a long night. My mind moved slowly, but even in my exhaustion I asked questions. Had they found anything? I doubted it, or they would have at least told father. And even more interesting, who were they? I knew they were Akatsuki, but which ones? I would look them up in my father's bingo book as soon as I got the chance, if I didn't find out before then.

I picked up the newspaper, yawning loudly as I unfolded it to the front page. I opened my eyes, scanning the characters on the headline. My blood ran cold, and I gasped. My hand covering my mouth, and I lowered the paper to the table.

"What's the matter, Hitomi-chan?" asked Sora, the kunoichi who had hugged me after the eyes appeared earlier this morning. I gestured with my free hand to the headline. In seconds, everyone in the room was investigating the paper. Kaoru picked it up to read the headline aloud.

"Multiple murders to be investigated, shinobi involved," Kaoru began, glancing at us to see if we wanted him to continue. A few of us nodded, and he delved back into the paper.

"Directly following yesterday's council meeting, where a new decree was presented to our town, multiple brutal murders occurred. Among those killed were council member Nakano Tatsuo, a prominent grain farmer, and his nephew Shiki. Shinobi have investigated the scene but have told officials nothing as of yet. The local authorities have also inspected the crime scenes and determined that all of the victims found were killed with the same weapon. Said weapon shredded the skin of the deceased, and all of the victims held a parchment or paper bearing the word 'Punishment.' There are no leads in this case," he finished, laying down the paper.

I closed my eyes as talk erupted, falling into my own world of silence. Things like this weren't supposed to happen; not here! I shook my head briefly, trying to reason these events out logically. Then it dawned on me.

"The Akatsuki," I said, and all of the people in the room stopped to look inquisitively at me. I opened my eyes, taking in the motley group of shinobi and civilians. A blush crept up my cheeks as I shook my head in dismissal, gesturing to my two extra plates.

"Uh, these plates are for the two Akatsuki upstairs," I covered as best I could and picked up their trays. I stood as gracefully as my jittery disposition allowed. "I'm, uh, going to set them outside their doors," I mumbled, leaving the room in an embarrassed hurry. I happily noted that the conversation had restarted as I rounded towards the main staircase. Releasing a sigh of relief, I allowed my mind to consider the facts behind the murders.

The murders directly followed yesterday's council meeting. At least the two names mentioned in the paper were people who challenged the order from God, Nakano the most argumentatively. The Akatsuki worked for God. Had one of them been in the meeting room, scoping out who the troublemakers were? If so…My clan was safe. Inadvertently, I had made sure of that much.

I set the plates in front of their doors, turning back towards the stairwell. As I reached the railing, I looked back, making sure I wasn't followed. Going down the service stairs, I silently made my way outside.

---=---=---=---=---

The journal rested in the same place I had left it in, next to a bouquet of fresh lavender branches. I picked up the plastic-wrapped book, dusting it off and opening it.

_"The gifts I've given to you are no where near as beautiful as you, remember that always._

_If you ever need help, please ask. I'll help in whatever way I can. I'm always here for you, Hitomi."_

I closed the book for a few minutes, a wry smile contorting my lips. My more prudent conscience told me to stop this correspondence before something terrible happened, or someone found out. But a part of me, hidden and tremulous, longed for the feeling of doing something forbidden.

I grabbed the pen, the darker side of me gaining sway over my better judgment, and wrote my reply in desperation.

_"Please, who are you? Are you with the government, do you live in town? Nearby? What is your name?_

_What I need is a friend, if you are willing to be one." _

I wrote, tears not far from falling. I forced them back into my eyes, blinking them away as I blew the characters dry. I closed the book, wiped my eyes on my sleeve, grabbed the bouquet, and left the woods. I felt a cloud of nervousness follow me, as if the book would grow legs and follow me, revealing my secret. I dismissed it, setting into the many chores left at the hotel.

---=---=---=---=---

"I'm going to, um, deliver these upstairs," I stuttered, taking two plates of food from the counter, where Emiko had been diligently making lunches for our guests. Not many remained out of the original seven, only the two Akatsuki and Sora hanging back at our inn.

Walking upstairs as silently as possible, I set the two covered serving trays on the floor in front of their doors, noticing their empty breakfast dishes. I picked them up, trying to listen for rustles or snores. I heard nothing to prove they were in the rooms. Turning, I stopped as I felt a hot breath on my neck. It was all I could do not to scream and drop the dirty dishes held in my cold hands.

"Thank you for breakfast, Hitomi-san," the Akatsuki with the smooth voice said, and I turned back around to face and welcome him. A thrill of intimidation swept through my veins as I realized that he could be the killer of all those people. He, or his partner, or both. I bowed, positive that I was visibly shaking. As I stood back up, the other Akatsuki exited his room, his hat no longer covering his face.

The taller man had skin the same color as my eyes, a light blue. He also had gills. When the blue man smiled, I saw that he possessed pointy, razor-sharp looking triangular teeth. He laughed as I backed up. The blue man's partner put his hand on my shoulder, stopping my escape.

"Always the same reaction, ne Itachi-san," the blue man laughed, winking at me conspiratorially. I stayed frozen under the hand of the blue man's partner. I glanced slightly sideways into the intelligent and frightening eyes of the handsome Akatsuki, who I now recognized as Itachi. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recognized his entry in the bingo book. I tried to remain calm. After all, these men worked for God, and so did I, (in a sense) putting us on the same side, the side of Amegakure.

"We must speak with you in private," he said, and I nodded. My heart thundered as we entered one of the Akatsuki's rooms, closing and locking the door behind us. I broke out in a cold sweat as the shorter man crossed the room to lock the window and close the blinds. Suddenly, both closed their eyes and focused on something. I backed into the corner of the room, wanting to fall to my knees as they turned into jelly. I surmised that they closed their eyes to either listen for something, or search for something that my dad called a 'chakra signature.' After a few seconds of waiting, I allowed my eyes to slide closed in an attempt to calm myself.

"Hitomi-san," the blue man addressed me, and I opened my eyes to see his face a few feet from me. Both of them seemed to study me, and I shivered as their gazes assessed my face. I wished I could melt into the wall, disappear forever.

"So you guessed. I'll have to admit, you have some brains hidden behind that pretty face," the blue man laughed, sitting on a wooden chair by a matching desk. He reached forward, taking my dishes and gesturing that I sit in the other chair. The handsome man didn't bother to sit, instead, leaning against a wall. I sat, my hands wringing each other nervously in my lap as I stared at the floor.

"My name is Kisame, and this is Itachi," Kisame introduced, and I bobbed my head in acknowledgement, still looking at the floor.

"No one can know about us," Itachi said lowly, and I looked up at him to show that I wasn't going to argue. I believed that even if the Akatsuki and God had a rough grip on this country, they were still the best option for us. A fierce loyalty connected me to my shinobi village, and that was something that nobody could question. If the Akatsuki wanted me to keep silent, I wouldn't utter a word.

"No one will, Itachi-Sama," I vowed, surprising myself by not stuttering once. He nodded. Kisame released a sigh of what sounded like relief, as if he was nervous about how I would react. I found that thought funny, imagining a grown man shattering his sanity over my answer. That was something men did in fairytales, not real life.

"What's so funny?" Kisame asked good-naturedly, and I realized that I was smiling. Quickly schooling my expression, I shook my head.

"I… I didn't, um, stutter," I lied, and Kisame laughed again, believing me. I doubted his good mood could withstand my thoughts about his sigh of relief. I glanced over at Itachi, whose eyebrow had raised a little. I paled, wondering if he caught my lie. He didn't push the subject, though. Instead, he addressed me for a different reason.

"It was impossible for us to find leads in the murder case last night, as you guessed," Itachi said, changing the subject. I tacked on a silent _because you_ are _the leads,_ but didn't dare say it aloud. I nodded, my attention focused on every last syllable.

"As for your yellow-eyed man…" Kisame continued, looking over at Itachi as he finished his part of the sentence. Itachi moved from the wall, glancing around the room.

"We cannot say whether or not we found him," Itachi said cryptically, steadily gazing into my eyes, as if trying to convey a message he couldn't say aloud. I met his gaze, trying to puzzle out what he really meant. They found the man, but couldn't catch him? The man caught them unprepared? They already knew the man and let him go? My eyes widened as Itachi's turned red. I tried to look away, but couldn't.

"Itachi-san?" Kisame asked Itachi, waving a hand in an attempt to gain his attention. The world before me became nothing but the red of his eyes. Kisame disappeared, leaving only Itachi and I. I tried to move or speak, finding myself paralyzed. What was going on? I wanted to cry in frustration, but I couldn't feel tears falling down my cheeks.

"Hitomi, you are safe as long as you never utter a word about this," he instructed me. I wanted to nod, or show some form of understanding, but remained mute and immobile. It seemed as though my whole world revolved around the words Itachi spoke, and his spinning, hypnotizing crimson eyes.

"We will not hesitate to kill your family if you disobey," my heart stilled, ice seeping into my veins. Somehow, this dangerous shinobi had discovered my true weakness, my love for my family. I wanted to scream, tell him not to dare lay a hand on them, and Itachi seemed to understand just through my gaze.

"The man you've been seeing, we could not detract him from you," he said, an undertone of regret echoing through the room. I was becoming nauseas, the spinning commas of his eyes stirring dizziness.

"Be careful," Itachi finished, and I was thrust back into the real world. My body was limp, Kisame's hand stopping me from pitching forwards off of my chair. Tears streamed down my face, unchecked because of my immobile state. Kisame glanced up at his partner, a question concealed in his eyes. I slipped into unconsciousness.

---=---=---=---=---

"…Passed out from exhaustion. I assume she hasn't slept much recently," I heard Kisame tell my nervous cousins from my spot on Kaoru's bed. I cracked my eyes open, searching the room for my father. He should have been there. Where was he?

"Thank you, Akatsuki-Sama," Emiko told Itachi, bowing gratefully. It seemed that all my family did lately was thank people and bow. How far had my prestigious family fallen since our days as royalty before I was born? Suddenly, my heart froze. I remembered Itachi's threat. Growing sick, I leaned over the edge of the bed, just in case. The only thing I could think about was how much I wished I didn't know anything about the murders.

"Hitomi, are you alright?" Kaoru asked, rushing to my side with his trashcan. Heaving the meager contents of my stomach into the blue pail, I felt a blush color my peaked cheeks. Showing any form of weakness in front of the two Akatsuki was embarrassing and demeaning. I wiped my mouth with the tissue Emiko handed me, turning to glare at the two cloaked men.

I barely registered the nervous commotion as my cousins fussed over me, focusing on Itachi and Kisame. It seemed to me that although Emiko and Kaoru were older than I, that it was my duty to protect them. They suddenly seemed very naïve and innocent to me, needing some form of protection from the outside world. I then realized that for the moment, I was the one who could be their shield. I used this surge of pride in my newfound responsibility to enhance my gaze at the Akatsuki members.

I tried to convey, without speaking, that my family was to be left alone. That I wouldn't let them touch us. That I wouldn't leak even a whisper about what I now knew. Nodding, Itachi and Kisame seemed to understand. Kisame cracked a quick smirk, and they left Kaoru's room, to leave for Ame. With their presence, an overwhelming feeling of being watched also went, leaving me, for a time, happily alone with my family.


End file.
